Benin Armed Forces

The Benin Armed Forces (FAB - Forces armées béninoises) constitutes the army, navy, air force, and national gendarmerie of Benin. For a number of years, the Belgian Armed Forces have had an active programme of co-operation with Benin, offering training and coaching, donating redundant military equipment and using the country for limited military exercises.[2]

Benin Armed Forces
Forces armées béninoises
Coat of arms of Benin
Founded1960
Service branchesArmy
Benin Navy
Benin Air Force
National Gendarmerie
Leadership
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Patrice Talon
Minister of DefenceYarou Robert Theophile
Chief of the Defence StaffLaurent Amoussou
Manpower
ConscriptionNo
Active personnel4,750[1]
Expenditures
Budget$US73 million (2011)[1]
Percent of GDP1% (2011)[1]
Industry
Foreign suppliers
 US
 Russia
 France
Related articles
RanksMilitary ranks of Benin

Army

As of 2012, the Army had a strength of 4,300.[1] It includes 1 armoured squadron, 3 infantry battalions, 1 commando/airborne battalion, 1 artillery battery, and 1 engineer battalion, and 1 National Fire Brigade.[1]

Infantry weapons
Name Origin Type Variant Notes
Small arms
TT pistol[3] Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol
MAT-49[3] France Submachine gun
AKM[3] Russia Assault rifle
AK-47[3] Russia Assault rifle AK-103, AK-12, RPK-74
Type 56[4] China Assault rifle
MAS-36 rifle[3] France Bolt-action rifle
SKS[3] Soviet Union Semi-automatic rifle
MAS-49 rifle[3] France Semi-automatic rifle
AA-52[3] France General purpose
Degtyaryov[3] Soviet Union General purpose RP-46
RPD[3] Soviet Union General purpose
DShK[3] Soviet Union General purpose
M2 Browning[3] United States General purpose M2HB, M2HB-QCB
RPG-7 Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade

Heavy weapons
Beninese soldiers training with Type 56s.
Name Origin Type In service Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
PT-76 Soviet Union Light tank 18[1]
M8 Greyhound United States Anti-armor vehicle 7[1]
Eland-90 South Africa Armored car 3[5] provided with French training[6][7]
Panhard VBL France Armored car 10[1]
BRDM-2 Soviet Union Armored car 14[1]
Casspir 2000 South Africa Armoured personnel carrier 10 on order[8]
M113 United States Armoured personnel carrier 18[9]
Artillery
L118 Light Gun United Kingdom Howitzer 12[1]
M101 howitzer United States Howitzer 4[1]

Air Force

After achieving independence from France in 1960 the Benin Air Force was transport equipped with seven French-supplied Douglas C-47s, four MH.1521 Broussards and two Agusta-Bell 47Gs. Two F-27s entered service in 1978 for transport duties before being transferred to Air Benin. Also during the same era, two AN-26s were acquired. In late 1985 two Dornier Do-28s entered service to replace the C-47s. A single DHC-6 Twin Otter was acquired in 1989.

The roundel of the Benin Air Force

Current inventory
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Transport
Boeing 727 United States VIP 1[10]
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada Utility transport 1[11]

As at 2012, the navy has a strength of approximately 200 personnel. It operates two ex-Chinese patrol boats, which are designated the Matelot Brice Kpomasse class.[1]

References
  1. IISS (2012), p. 422
  2. Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Benin, 78.
  3. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2007
  4. Photo Details. Marines.mil (16 June 2009). Retrieved on 2012-05-20.
  5. DIO blindé au Bénin
  6. "Senegal Instruction Operationelle Au Profit Des Forces Armees Beninoises".
  7. Republique du Benin Archived 3 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Benin purchases ten Casspir 2000 mine protected vehicles Archived 13 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 10 February 2013
  9. "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  10. "Benin Government B-727". xairforces.net. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  11. "World Air Forces 2020". Flightglobal Insight. 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
Works consulted
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2012). The Military Balance 2012. London: IISS. ISSN 0459-7222.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.

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